HITTING MY HALF WAY MARK> WHAT???

hello everyone.

ALSO< GUONIAN=THANKSGIVING, FOR LUNCH and DINNER, EVERDAY FOR 8 DAYS.

lets just say. i am full ((: because they make sure of it.

i am going to be officially old on the 28th. crazy. like time flies. if it ever did.

here is a crazy miracle:

Some miracles just come from the fact that we contacted this potential, and she said to come over to her house! We get there have a lesson, and we didn't even need to ask if their was anything we could do for her. She realized what we could do and why we were there... to serve her. She asked if we knew how to do house work. I said, of course, and she should us this dirty refrigerator from the renter before her. Before no time it was sparkling clean. Wow. When does that ever happen? No one ever lets us clean their house. That was a special experience. She said that she has been cheated by christians in the past, and that just because some one says they are christian, doesn't mean they are like christ. Well, of course you need to see their actions, by their fruit we can know them. I think just like Christ we could show her some good service. A cool experience for all of us. 

Also, getting a new companion on friday!! prayers work we are getting like 20 new missionaries at transfer meeting!!! wow!

LOVE YOU SO MUCH (:(: hope you are all doing well!!!(:(: love love love!

SISTER LINDSEY WALKER (:

on our way to district meeting!

Keep yourself healthy when riding the train :)

sweet car

 i made graham cracker things and put that frosting inside!!! haha, sister li, was like what is this stuff??? it is so good, and im just like, i do this all the time haha (: just stick it in the freezer and bam. america. ha

sister george!!! (:(:

some members..

both of my mini missionaries....

Pictures are of food. of course..... haha (:

also these hongbao! red envelopes we gave to people that had some flyers for english class and the restoration and families inside with a card that said happy new year! it was so fun to give those away with candy!! so happy.

hello my dearest mommy!!!!

well, things just don't seem to be letting up... haha. in a good way i guess. thanks for praying and fasting for me (: haha, A MIRACLE HAPPENED. 20+ missionaries are coming to taiwan this week that got their visas! so happy, because there are 15 missionaries going home.....

also, had interviews with president day and guess what. i get to train one of those missionaries. like what??? he was just like, recently with all the things that have been happening i have been really impressed, and i would call you to be a trainer. and i just like started tearing up and i just shook my head up and down, ok. 

so please, i really need some extra prayers. i need to keep this new missionary safe, and alive, and not lost, and not stressed, and confident, and happy. and help her, and love her. 

I have been thinking about it alot.... what i thought when i was trained.... what sister george did and what i would do... and ya (: well, i don't know mom, i have never had a child before!!!! tell me how it is done.... haha (:

sounds like you had a busy day today!!! but sounded really productive!! so proud of all of you (: preach my gospel is like the best thing ever!!! i read it everyday (:

anyway......i am doing good, so happy to see your smilling faces! thanks for the pictures, it really is the best part (: haha, and ya Heavenly Father really does have all knowledge and His ways are higher than our ways. because i still don't get it. haha.

i was actually just reading in jesus the christ about the sermon on the mount. it is my favorite part of that book so far! i love the part about prayer (: do you have that book? i think you should read that chapter about the sermon on the mount, it is really good. but thanks so much for sharing what you learned! i really like that! i think i will use that (: haha

guess what..... i was sitting there in church and this member came up to me and was like you have a cousin in taiwan right? and i was like yes! i do! and she said that her friend in calla's area actually had new years dinner with her! so cool!!! its like we are connected (:(: 

harbor investigator is Cindy. ha. and she is doing good, recently her family has been opposing her.... and she has been gone. we haven't gotten a chance to meet with her.... so i hope everything is ok! idk. i will keep you posted!

LOVE YOUU ALLL!!! (:(:

we had a little party last week (: haha, its like my birthday just keeps going!!! haha

 

過年快樂!! HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

hello everyone..... (:(:

well, so things are crazy... but here is the email that i sent my momma........ if you want to take a look (:(:

......

and not really "settled" haha, one thing that was really nice today was that we took like a solid hour and a half just to clean the apartment. wow. it looks so much better. i can't remember if i sent you some before pics.... but next week you can get some nice after ones (:(: haha, there is something really nice and peaceful about living in a clean place. i think cleanliness is next to godliness. and really you can feel the spirit, when everything has its spot and you know that all the people written on those records are children of God and that we have taken good care of them (: we still have a little bit left to go as far as organizing some former investigators... but at least they are all in one spot now! haha, thank goodness my companion is so awesome and helped me out (: haha!!!

I have another mini missionary!!! wow. so many companions. so little time. kinda crazy and overwhelming about all this switching all the time... but you are right, it does make me grow. a lot. i feel sometimes like it is stretching me to my limit....one thing that is super nice and not stressful is that i don't have to train them on their language..... they got that (: haha, and it is really easy to remember to speak chinese all the time.... because well they can't speak english...... they are pretty good about some vocab... but really couldn't carry on a conversation in english. thats ok tho (: one thing i learned. my chinese is actually  a lot worse than i thought. taiwanese people are just to nice to tell you. ha, sometimes. haha, they all say it is really good and improving.... i am not sure haha (: one thing that i love is understanding people (: i feel like i am starting to understand the whole listening part when teaching... before it was really hard to not only listen... but actually understand and know how to reply that will bring the spirit, answer their question and will be in a loving and caring way. haha, so ya. stretching me for sure. but we are having a really good time, we are finding that we need to focus efforts on finding, everyday we have at least a solid hour of contacting..... teaching on the street, giving people book of mormons and getting phone numbers.... it is hard, because people are so busy this time of year.... basically it is like christmas season in america.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR. it starts on wednesday and it goes for 6 whole days. wow. we are getting fed by members twice a day.... wow. i don't even know if i can handle that. thank goodness i have a taiwanese companion (: haha, that will help out. (: haha

OH MAN!!! so sorry. i left the thing to put the pictures on the email at home...... ughhh. well, next week you can see her!!!! my new companion is super cute (: i love her!!! her name is Sister Ji and she is the best person in the whole entire world.... and i will tell you why..... she is giving up her chinese new year to spend it on the mission with me... she is going to be away from her family.... and have to live the missionary life. WOULD YOU GIVE UP YOUR CHRISTMAS VACATION TO BE A MISSIONARY? i think that maybe not. she is better than most of us. she has such a strong testimony. she was baptized with her family when she was 10 years old.... and she is getting ready to go on her mission in Hong Kong in July. super exciting, super cool! The assistants called her apparently the day before my other companion Sister Li went home... and asked if she would be interested. she decided right then and there that she would. and she was prepared. actually, that kinda reminds me of whats-his-name.... Ephraim Hanks? where he got his call to serve a mission and he said he was ready then because he had already prepared everything. 

Sister Ji is 22 and is graduated from college with her degree.... i think in elementary education... i am not sure..... like teaching children... something haha (: 

I have heard from both Sister Li (she is doing good, the poor thing was sick while she was with me and she is doing much better now that she is home)

Sister Price is also doing really good.... here is the email i got from her....

( Funny how I was freezing at 50 degrees and here it's like 20 and snowing :(((((((((( hahaha I'm so cold!!!! I am doing better! Update I graduated to a boot!!!'n yay! so I can take it off to shower and (to scratch my leg hehe.) andddd I got my stitches out (was still a baby about it and held my moms hand) Also I found out MY TOWN HAS A TAIWANESE BAKERY!!!! I got to talk to the owner! That was awesome made me really sad though.)

Ok about pizza... ummm, i have seen it at like restaurants they just eat it with their hands.....and they think it is funny that i am using a fork to cut my pizza haha! but i have also seen at ward activities... if someone brings a pizza then they will grab it with their chopsticks and just kinda eat it like that.... ahha! 

about valentines day... umm, yes and no. they are aware of it. they new that saturday was valentines day... but i don't think they do anything specific... maybe they will go out with their loved one to a restaurant or something if they want.... but it was also saturday... but i didn't notice anything specific or different about valentines day.....

which reminds me...............HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!! love you all(: you are my best valentines (: the best ones a sister missionary could have (: 

so fun that you are snowmobiling!!! yay for president's day too!!!(:(:

umm, i have not seen any musical toilets sadly. ;/ haha only squatters!!! eww! but... you get use to it...... we went and did some service at this place and they only had porti-potties.... haha, apparently some missionaries went over to use them... and they were porta-squatters! what could be worse than a porta-potty? a porta-squatter. and by squatter i sure hope you all understand that basically it is like a hole in the ground and ya just kinda squat and go.... ha.

one thing that is funny and i can't remember if i told you this yet.... but when they are telling a story or something... or something happens... and they are talking about it being embarrassing.... they put up their first 3 fingers..... index, middle and ring finger and kinda slide it against their faces... haha. super funny! kinda like any anime cartoons.... haha, like it just happened the other day in church... the gospel principles teaching was telling about how she had gotten this prompting from the spirit and she just ignored it... later she found out that someone else had had a spiritual prompting and immediately did it and well, was blessed for it. haha, and she was just saying how she was sitting there.... and she was just like "oooohhh" and did that thing. so funny. ha. i laughed. (:

about the whole snow situation. yup. no snow unless it is on top of the mountain on the tallest mountain in taiwan......which i think is in the middle of taiwan... where like no one is. so idk. ha (:

ok, one huge amazing miracle!!! i met this 16 year old girl last sunday with Sister Li and we got talking with her... she is so cool and was christian before, but has just kinda quit going recently..... we got to meet with her last night and she is so great. she said the most sincere prayer ever. we really just focused on who God is, who thinks He is and our personal experiences... we even got to show her that video called our true identity by president uchtdorf. super good... her prayer was that she wasn't sure if God was there.... but she was grateful and happy to meet with the missionaries and she just was like, i am going to start to pray to you God and know who You are. wow. she has some family problems that i know this gospel can help with!! wow. we are meeting with her again today!!! woohoo!!!(:(:

LOVE YOU ALL SOOO MUCH (:(:

you are all the best. i hope you are having a good time and have a good time off of school (:

LOVE, sister walker

here was the event that we got to go serve at!!! it was feeding people. i think...... ummm....

this is the official notice:

we got to participate in an activity to assist in feeding 2000 tables of worth of warm meals for the homeless, live-alone aged and poor people as a year-end reunion meal of the lunar year. The actual food will be served on February 12 in Neihu.

However, the Huashan Social Welfare Foundation has indicated that it really needs the help of our missionaries on February 11, before the activity actually begins, to help set up these 2000 tables.

on Wednesday morning, February 11 we went and set up the chairs and tables and everything to support this community service activity.

#itwasfun thats all that matters (:

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK, BUT IT ENDED WELL (:

I am doing pretty ok (: haha! i actually have a short term missionary with me right now... just a member from another ward who volunteered for a mini mission for a week, she is so sweet! her name is sister li and she is from shilin..... which is actually close by, she actually went to high school in jilong... right now she is 20 just like me and going to school to be a civil engineer! she is so smart! wow! haha, we got together on friday and will be together until this friday... it has been good to be back! wow, you kinda get out of practice... haha, out of missionary work, but i think my chinese is improving! she is my first taiwanese companion, which is super exciting! haha, 

WE HAVE SEEN SO MANY MIRACLES THO>>>

but, first i want to let you know the sequence of events...... so the MONDAY sister price was in her accident, we went to the hospital, then the next morning, TUESDAY she had surgery, WEDNESDAY the temple sisters from taibei came to stay with us, so i could go back to the house and shower and grab some other stuff for sister price, THURSDAY i got to go to taibei while some other sisters from a near by area were sister price's companions.... and i got to attend the zone special training conference FRIDAY just hung out with sister price... and did some splits so i could go pack her stuff at home... then that night sister and president day came and took us to the mission home in taibei....SATURDAY just hung out, we made banana bread and chilled.... weird.... we studied.... and ya.... SUNDAY we got to go to the english ward in taibei.... cool! then came home and chilled out.... then we got to watch meet the mormons! such a good movie! i loved it!!! (special privileges)MONDAY we had "pday" which means we emailed and people came and visited us haha, TUESDAY just kept recovering....and basically went through all of sister price's stuff to get her luggage under weight and pack it all nice and good WEDNESDAY woke up, got all ready and went to the airport...... we had to drive for a little bit, so sister price was just trying to tell me everything about jilong.... and ya, just trying to keep her mind busy... we get to the airport and get everything checked in and luggage all taken care of and a person comes to help her through security.... she is in a wheelchair to make it easier.... and i give her one last hug, and she starts crying, i am just trying to be positive, and well, say goodbye..... then she goes and i turn around, and i burst into tears. :( oh man, that was so hard. :( i just didn't know what was going to happen to me... i am suppose to have a companion... i can't and don't want to do this without her...... :( but then sister day just gives me a hug and we go get some food at the food court... and head back to taibei..... sister day was my companion that day... and we got to teach english class together in jilong.... THURSDAY i just was the temple sisters, third companion.... and i got to attend this other all day meeting. then!!!! something really special happened, that night i got to go back to jilong with 2 sisters that had served there before... sister knight and sister miller, and it was so great (: wow, that was a cool day. i wish i could tell you everything! but we met a cool new investigator.... but haha, later found out that the number he wrote down wasn't his...... maybe he wrote it wrong... or maybe that was on purpose... but ya. ha, we got to meet with a recent convert and ya, that went really good. FRIDAY went back to taibei in the morning... for another day of meetings, but the assistants said that i was going to get a mini missionary... but she was sick... so she didn't come till like 4 and then we went back to jilong!!!! had some really cool miracles there too (:(: just getting to meet with our investigators and do some good finding.... SATURDAY, got to do a little planning, because it has been soooooo long!!!! crazy. then after we got to meet with investigators.... and find and amazingly it all worked out. SUNDAY, church and the elders had a baptism! so that was cool, our investigator Sister Zheng came (: she is so awesome, we got to meet a really cool new investigator Sister Cao!!! she is so cute, in high school.... and we gave her a BOM.... sweet. OVERALL, even though we only had like 2 and a half days together we really effectively used our time and i know that it was all because of God's help. really special (:

at first, i would have to say my feelings, we just overwhelmed, like i can't do this and all sorts of bad feelings.... i knew that those weren't from heavenly father... and i know that all i had to do was stay positive and try my best. but i just couldn't help but feel conflicted and sad. i just remember one night, just crying and being so sad, i was just praying, like i don't know how to feel. i don't know what to do. and through the process of praying, i was able to calm down and trust Heavenly Father enough to fall asleep.... the next day i got a chance to talk with sister knight about why i loved prayer as a part of the training we had and then she shared with me. i really loved what she said and it really came as an answer to my own prayer.... or just a way to put what happened the night before into words, she said something to the effect of "i love prayer because you get to do the thinking about the day with God, its not just like you are praying..... just one person.... you are together. and it is almost like He is just saying, its ok, because i see it all. and you just have this little perspective." wow.

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!(:

SISTER WALKER

me and sister li and she is eating mashed potatoes  i made for her... and i am eating noodles she made for me (: haha!!!

we played uno attack at the Miao family's house, it was so fun! also... the lady with the pink hat is our investigator Sister Zheng and she is awesome. (:(:

WELL!!

i am staying safe, and well just an update for you..... last monday... we had pday and then we met with an awesome LA and an awesome RC and on the way back home it was all wet and rainy.... i told sister price that we should take the shorter way along the harbor....that way we could get home the fastest and most direct way. i thought it would be better than going through all the traffic. i was following sister price and we were coming off this small bridge and she went to turn left.... and her bike just slipped straight out from under her sideways because the ground was all wet. i remember looking at her and thinking, wow. she is taking that corner really fast! and then she fell and apparently... i set my bike down and parked it... took off my helmet, picked sister price's bike up and she was screaming. we looked down at her leg and it was broken. and yes. it was really apparent. she got really pale and i was just freaking out on the inside but i stayed really calm, i just held her head and put it down....  she was just saying call the elders... and so i called them. thank goodness they were really close and they rode over really fast.... i just asked someone who was standing near by to call the ambulance. they did, and you could hear it coming because the hospital was really close thank goodness (: and thank goodness, the elders were able to help her into the ambulance and i just held her hand the whole night, the poor thing, thank goodness sister day and president day were in taibei and that is really close, they were able to come down and help figure everything else out, it was a long few days in the hospital.... and on friday she got out of the hospital which was a miracle!!!!! and we have been staying at the mission home, and i feel so guilty. i feel like we died and went to heaven. we are sleeping on these beds of clouds. and we made banana bread and they made us macaroni and cheese and we watched meet the mormons! all i can say is that we were at the lowest of lows and we have come to complete luxury. i don't know what to do. everything is so up in the air right now, but they are trying to buy tickets for her to go back home to kansas on wednesday. wow. 

what happened is that her tibia and fibula are broken... in 4 places or something like that, so she has 3 plates and 2 screws 

i don't know why these things happen. i don't know why i was sister price's companion, i don't know why it was her and not me, or why it happened at all.

the thing i do know is that the members are great in jilong and took such good care of us, bringing us food in the hospital because the hospital doesn't provide meals, and while the hospital looked a little dirty and maybe they didn't give her the most powerful pain killers, and maybe the nurses didn't have enough time to spend with her, because of all their other patients.... one perk is that the bill was millions of times less than it would have been in america even without insurance here. 

moral of the story we are both doing so much better. just know that i know that God answers prayers and He loves us. In our darkest moments we will be lifted up. and everything is worth it and GOD HAS A PLAN.

" we have the faith to be healed, but we don't get to choose how"

love you so much. something funny to lighten this email up!

some of the first words out of sister price's mouth while she was laying on the ground with her broken leg.....

"thank goodness I shaved today"

"you need to take a picture of me!"

"oh no, i am going to get fat!"

There have been so many miracles that i have seen out of this. and we have had so many angels come to our rescue.

while i do not know what is going to happen, i am going forward with faith and happiness. I know that God has blessed me with a sense of calmness in the midst of all of this. i was still smiling through it all. Everyone always asked how I am/was doing and all I could do was smile because we were making it through.

LOVE YOU ALL.

KEEP SMILING. YOU WILL GET OUT OF THE LOW MOMENTS, and God has shown me that again, and again and again. DO NOT DOUBT HIM. It is all in His hands.

Love, SISTER WALKER

 the first night

 the day after surgery

the day she got let out of the hospital