WELL, THERE IT IS>

I AM RECOVERED> no worries please (: love you all!!! (:

Some miracles from this week really have come from the small and simple things. We got to go knocking on exchanges and find a great new investigator! We got to ride our bikes more, and so that helps us with not being late because we are waiting on the bus. We are really trying to be more obedient in how we use our time. We got to see a small miracle from going around doing good. We saw a lady with these 2 huge bags, and she actually let us help her! So cool! That like never happens, she knew that she really needed it. And I think all of us are like that sometimes, we are just sitting there, with these huge burdens, these 2 huge, heavy bags, and we just think, I will do it by myself. But to be humble would be to accept the Savior's help. And know that we need His help.

EASTER IS COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and stop. and right now please go check out this website. helives.mormon.org

and watch the video. be touched. like it on facebook. share it with all your friends. share your testimony. share why you personally believe in Christ and how because he lives that enables you to do........something! anything! everything! but make it personal (: because it is. Share scriptures, pictures, etc. 

Testify of Christ's resurrection and atonement (: 

I know you will personally see blessings, and will bless everyone else too!!! (:(:

this week we had zone conference. it was so good. really. 

we talked about 4 different languages:

1. language of the spirit

2. language of love

3. language of taiwan (mandarin chinese)

4. language of the gospel

and then afterward i was reading in

1st Thessalonian-5

And it really is missionary work. A WORK OF FAITH, LABOR OF LOVE, PATIENCE OF HOPE

and it comes to men by power of the Holy Ghost.

1st Thessalonians 2:6-9

And this is how true missionaries are. The love and serve and work. And how all disciples of Christ are.

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!

sister walker (:

1. pizza from dominos. yum. but it is taiwanese pizza. it just tastes a little different. haha, and they have cheesy weird pictures on the wall. ha

2. sister tate forgot to take off her house slippers but we didn't have time! we were already at the church! so bathroom selfie and check out those blue slip ons (: haha

3. sick. so we wear surgical masks.also in the elevator. also blurry. but good (:

BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH

well, i was really excited from last week, and we had a really successful last week. and then boom.

recent update. 

i have been sick. sadly. but thank goodness the first time on my mission. also not so thank goodness, because i didn't know how to handle it at all.

symptoms: chills, aches, headache, gross coughing, out of it-ness, tired, lack of appetite

you know just like a cold or whatever. but by wednesday night at english class i had promised my english students that i would go see a doctor. and guess what, after the doctor took my blood and looked at my throat, do you know what he said? yup, you have a cold. lets get you some medicine to go eat.....

and i was just like ok. 

so i have been drinking water, and resting for dayyysss. so not much to report on. other than, i was so very grateful for so many things!

1. awesome members who brought us healthy food because i couldn't go out, and sister tate couldn't leave me

2. driving us to church sacrament meeting and back

3. temple sisters came on exchanges so that sister tate didn't have to stay all cooped up with me, and sister su took really good care of me (:

4. the great talks at church! they were like the best ones ever (please go read Moroni 7) 

5. the opportunity to ponder. for days. i really think it was some great time for reflection.

oh man, so much juice for dayyyyys................haha

While the fever was burning and i was laying on my bed immobile. I really felt like Alma the Younger or something, and now i am going to be a completely new person! i know this next week is just going to be really really really great. (:(:

Really wish I could have had my mommy to take care of me, but the members are so sweet and looked up on the internet about chicken noodle soup when you are sick.....

but anyways, there was this week. we did see some great miracles! and somehow we got lessons and set ups...... set up for next week (: exciting!!! can't wait for what this week holds (:(:

Also, one last thing from that awesome talk on sunday.... it was this guy and he was like, my favorite scripture is 1 Nephi 11:2.... the spirit asks....."Nephi, what do you want?"

And we can all think about that question. in anything we do. what do you want? and do then act accordingly..... or figure out what we want of a situation or experience etc. 

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please don't get sick. it isn't fun (: but if you have to just lay there, its ok, you can secretly watch "a bugs life" in your mind (:(: haha i may or may not have!

LOVE, SISTER WALKER (:

my dearest mommy, i love you so much (:(: and i guess you will get my other letter and see how my week went this week.... not so good :( sick, and i missed you the most ever. but it is so great because the temple sister sister su is just like my mommy on my mission (:(: she came and saved and helped me with sister price and she came again (:(: she cleaned our whole apartment... made me food, helped me sleep, gave me medicine and everything (: she just made it more like home (: attached are pictures of her (:(: she is the greatest, even though we have never been companions, she is really close to me and we always feel comfortable around each other (:

it is not getting hot yet, last week the weather was really beautiful, but it was not the norm! haha, it is back to rain and cold now (:(: haha! so crazy how different it is for calla......

and you can safely assume it is always humid yes (:(: haha

A story for y'all. its a long one... so take a seat.

I have a story for yall, so sit down and break out the popcorn or something....

Let me first give you some background, our phones in our mission are old. like the nokia brick, but it is cool because we have this referral system that works for all of taiwan.... and we send and receive referrals.... very convenient..... ok so going through the referral system on the phone here in jilong.... there are so many that haven't been contacted! and so slowly and slowly.... we have been contacting them.....until there was one left.

it was just an address and a name. kinda sounded a little questionable........it was a recent convert's mother, saying that we could go visit her. We asked our bishop to look it up on the smart phone to see where it was.... it wasn't on the map...... come to find out it is about a couple hours away.... still counts as our ward boundary.... but very. very. very. far. 

the first logical thing that came into my mind was.... well we can't go there. there is no way. why would we do that? there is no logical explanation....i was going to mark it uncontactable.... and call it good... .but we thought to ask our sister training leaders..... and being great sister training leaders, they got us all the information and the answer they gave us was....... pray about it. and if God says to go, then all we needed to do was call the assistants and we could go. 

......

and so we prayed. and pondered. and read..... and then we went to church, and right there at church i felt like i received an answer to my prayer...... a member was talking in relief society about how she had met missionaries through her son when he was young... just one day brought them home... haha, they told her that in a month sister missionaries would come to her door and share with her the gospel, and just a month and a week later. there they were. this member is one of the most committed i have ever seen. she studies her scriptures 2 hours a day and has such a strong testimony and relationship with God. it is amazing to see. 

what if our referral was her. what if she was just praying for missionaries to come? i know that while we need to use our reason and logic and brain power. sometimes God doesn't work like that..... His ways are amazing. and understandable sometimes. but through the Holy Ghost we can come to understand them. Through the peace and happiness in our heart. that good feel like when you make a good decision. it is just right. and so i said.... ok. lets do it.

of course, i am not the only one in this companionship.... sister tate was praying and pondering too. that next day we got to discuss it. and we decided that even if we go... and 1. can't find her 2. she isn't home..... or any variation of that story.... then we were meant to go there. for some reason. even if that reason was unknown. there was a reason that referral was sent to us. we must do all we can to contact it. we had to do our part. and let other's agency effect their part. 

So, this past Saturday, we scheduled our time out.... we had about a 4 hour block marked out..... 3 in the afternoon to the elder's baptismal service at 7 that night....... we went and got our train tickets.... thats right! train.... tickets.... it was that far.  we talked to everyone we could on that train.... waiting for the train.... walking around....everything. making calls, getting in contact with as many people as we could so that our time would be as effective as possible. 

well, 3 oclock..... came..... we accidentally missed the train..... so we had to wait till 3:30...... got the train.... met a cute family, a student, an old guy..... went to stops.... and we had to transfer trains..... so we get to the next train... have to wait another 30 minutes until it comes........ but we meet these 2 awesome ladies! they were immediately our new friends. got to share our testimony with them. and invite them to go to the church in their area....... sadly the train came and we didn't get to get their numbers.... but i know the experience left a mark on them. 

we get on the next train... going... waiting until the intercom thing says our stop...... we keep listening..... looking out the train at the beautiful taiwan scenery. it was beautiful.

all this time, i feel anxious. i know how far we are going. 

but we just keep talking to people, meet them, pray with them, invite them. 

finally the stop comes... we get off. and i feel like we have just come to the middle of no where land. the station is tiny! we get out. and there is no city, no taxi, no bus. 

we talk to the little mom and pop convenient store across the road.... and they go into the back to use the phone and call us a car...... yup, the person down the road, has a car. haha. and we give him the address and we get in the car. by the way... this guy is so old. kinda scared for my life. but not. because there isn't anyone on the road anyway. 

we get to the street and we start asking people from the car....do they know where the house is..... we get to the end of the road.... and the house isn't there. or we can't tell because the houses don't have that number thing... the address plate on the outside of the house..... so there are all these old people just hanging out outside on the corner... we pull over.... and im just like, i need to get out of this car! we start talking to them.... sadly, they don't speak chinese.... just taiwanese... so we have got about 7 old people speaking in taiwanese, looking around all confused..... so sister tate and i start walking around....can't find it. don't know where it is. anything. 

sister tate is such a good companion. she just says, we need to say a prayer... and i look at her.... i know. so we sit down. and pray. and i just have this thought... if only we could find some young person with a smart phone. and we look down the road...... there are all these tongxues.....(students) i think they were middle school age.... coming down the road...we just wait for them by the old people.... and they start giggling.... i don't know what it is here.... but they love foreigners... we ask them if they can help us find an address, and all these smart phones come out of their pockets.... and they help us find it. we walk straight to it... and look who is standing out on the porch... sister wu!!

of course, we got a picture with the tongxues..... a selfie. they were so impressed (:(: haha!

and we say, hello sister wu. we have come to find you and talk with you. haha, she looked so surprised! she goes back into the house... and starts sweeping....

i could not feel the spirit more than as we sat in that house and testified to her. i felt so obedient following preach my gospel. we got to know her. and started the first lesson. first principle. God is our loving Heavenly Father. We promised blessings, shared testimony, she said her concerns, and we were understanding.she said how hard working she has been because 20 years ago her husband died in a car accident, we sang for her, families can be together forever, and I am a child of God.

i felt like all we were saying to her was completely foreign. it was. and it was hard for her to accept... she pointed at the giant altar behind her. she said, "i can't be christian. "

we thought to ask about her daughter.... as she has recently joined the church..... apparently that is also a tender situation. their relationship isn't good. we testified that the greatest gift is the gospel that her daughter wanted to share with her..... sister wu just got more upset to the point where she whipped out her phone, and called the daughter right up.... i spoke to her. i said, hello, i am sister wang...... and we are here visiting your mother. she said, "that is amazing" and sounded completely shocked, i said, please share your testimony with your mother. she said, i will tell you and you can tell her. as the daughter bore simple testimony of everything we had just taught her mom, and as i relayed the message to her mom, you could see the hardened hearts, and the hurt, I know for certain at that moment sister wu was asking herself. if this was true. why we were doing there, if God really existed. If Christ was her savior, if she would be with her husband again. It was a time I know there was some inner questions, thoughts, ideas, from her upbringing and religion, with something that didn't match with what we bore testimony of.

i just can't even. the moments were so intense. i was on the brink of tears. as i looked back and saw a hurting family relationship, but also completely calm and peaceful that whatever happened was meant to happen. 

by the end sister wu prayed with us, we gave her a book of mormon and she was inviting us to come back and visit her, that there was a lot of places to go play in the area. she thanked us for our love and kindness and support. but i could see this visit was a start to something that is much deeper than we could ever understand. 

i think that at least it was the start to a chain effect that will help their family, sister wu, her daughter and will lead them to repair damages through Jesus Christ. 

I know that Jesus Christ is God's son. I know that He loves us, and died for us. Because of Him we can overcome death. We can heal family relationships.

We finished up our lesson, invited her to come to church if she was going to Jilong any time soon. and called our car guy. At this point it was about 7:30 at night, we went around and talked to neighbors until he came..... we jumped in the car and went. realizing we had not even eated dinner......

he drove us to the station, and all we had time to do was buy our ticket and wait for the train that came at 8, we sat and talk to the only other person waiting for a train......... we had a good time. that experience was amazing.....

we got on the train and started off....

we met so many people, and right at the end before we pulled into the jilong station we met a family, who recently moved to jilong, and said they would be interested. we got there number and walked as fast as we could home!

stopped really fast at the ok mart... a convenient store, and grabbed some random food. walked home, and walked into the door right at 9:30. saved.

and there it is.

and that is the story. 

life goes on. God loves us. 

I am so happy to be in Taiwan. I am so happy for my life. I am so happy for the gospel. I am so happy for my companion, for my experiences. For being safe. For my testimony. 

I encourage all of you to talk with God, have experiences with Him. You will see His hand in your life. 

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(:

Sister Walker :)

THINGS ARE GREAT> we made it a week!!((: yessssssssssssssss

sorry... things are crazy. and there goes the time again.... ha.

but a few things.....to let ya know...

SOME MIRACLES!!!!!!!!!!

1. ok so one day this week we were on the bus... started talking to this lady.... who actually turns out to be a christian... but less active... hasn't been to church or prayed in a long time.... but right there on the bus.... i got to say a prayer with her to bless her.... she started tearing up.... and got to give her a book of mormon and encouraged her to pray.. she was so grateful. amazing what a simple prayer can do and the power of the holy spirit to testify of truth and God's love. Anyway.... our stop came and we had to get off, but i quickly got her number.... and Saturday i called her.... and she was like, come to my house and i will feed you.... and well, yesterday we stopped by and her whole family was there! that was the biggest lesson of my entire life.... her two sons and their wives and their children.... got to teach them all about the gospel... focused on Christ and the book of mormon... and just got to get to know them. wow. she is our only investigator at this point. but can you imagine that baptismal service? i think that through feeling the spirit, that we can start meeting with all of them! it is so exciting, sister tate and i were just sitting there. like wow. they could be an eternal family. she was so sweet.... she got a chance to say a prayer at the end of the lessson and it was so good! so exciting (: she was so touched. she just kept calling us angels. but really God is the worker, He adds the increase... we don't really do much. (:

2. we got some amazing new investigators! two that are RC's family and friend! wow!! so exciting, it is so better when they have a member and friend to be by their side, it is also great because we are all working together to help them progress, it is amazing because it also helps the new member's testimony grow as they get a chance to do missionary work (: wow.

my baby is doing so good!! haha (:(: i totally forgot... that i didn't even write anything about her..... HER NAME IS SISTER TATE, she is from orange county california, she went to BYU for a year before coming on her mission... sound familliar huh? she lived in the dorms at helaman halls.... sounds famililar? she lived in stover.... hmmm, she was on the 3rd floor and i was on the 1st floor!!!! CRAZYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we have so many mutual friends, it is so crazy. to imagine. wow. she is still 19, her birthday is june 3rd!!!! so i am older (:(: haha, by like 6 months (: haha. she has a twin sister who is in uruguay...... and she has 8 people in her family! wow! her brother served a mission in taizhong, and she is so great! she is fearless! love it!!(:(: we have been seeing so many miracles together in our short time together!

a breaker is the companion you have after your trainer, because they "break" the way you do missionary work... haha, but it is really interesting because sister tate got 4 months in houston texas on a short mission while she waited for her visa to taiwan... and there she had a trainer, and another companion (breaker) and so i feel like i am training her and breaking her. and it is tough. but good, because there are a lot of different things that i still have to train her about being in taiwan, but she is already "trained" as a missionary.... so its not like she is a new missionary, she is doing great, and also i feel like she is training me in a way ahaha (: lets just say we learn a lot from each other (:

also... when a missionary "dies" that means they go home... haha (:(: so yes, sister anderson and sister george went home... sadly. it is really weird to think about. gahhhh the time is too short.... when you start seeing your companions going home. things get really real. but they were the best, i really did learn so much from them, so great!

today cleaning went really well. our apartment is looking really good! and you have no idea. but soon you will get a picture!!(:(: haha

 one thing that has been really apparent is all the repenting that i have been doing this week. haha, so glad that it can be a happy constant change.... and that we really are enabled. i feel the spirit, every time i talk and testify about the atonement and how christ died for us... and that because of him we can change!!! i love that video from last easter ... the because of him..... wow. i think  about it alot (: love it!! haha

so glad everyone is happy and healthy and chugging along!! keep doing awesome until school ends (:(: they got this!!!

i think that i really was able to overcome discouragement. and at this point. i really do feel very happy!!! so exciting!!!

love you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(: sister walker

we got banana shirts

we were sooo soaked. #elevatorselfie

 the old district

I HAVE A BABY!!!!!!!!

 OK, how do you celebrate hitting your halfway mark...??. well,

#1 THROW AWAY AN OLD PAIR OF WORN OUT SHOES

#2 YOU BUY NEW SHOES

#3 YOU GET TO TRAIN A NEW MISSIONARY. (HAVE A BABY!!) Sister Tate

#4 WATCH YOUR TRAINER GO HOME :( Sister George

#5 WATCH YOUR BREAKER GO HOME :( Sister Anderson

(see pictures)

I like can't even. ha

WE ARE HAVING A GREAT TIME. EVEN THOUGH I AM SO STRESSED. ha. (:

It is so fun because I just keep shoving food at her, i am just like, this is good and you have to try this... and this and this and this and she loves. it. (haha (: she is def. my daughter:)) unless.... she doesn't..... then i had better stop... ha.

well, this week was complete craziness!! we had exchanges with the sister training leaders.... went to meetings to prep me for training..... and transfer meeting... and then we did temple tours on saturday which means that we are in taipei at the temple all day giving everyone tours of the chapel next door and talking about the temple! and then yesterday sundaywe went back to taipei for the recent convert fireside! wow. 

realized. that God is in charge. It is all according to His timing. haha

I was reading a Liahona talk about receiving revelation... and i think it was elder oaks... he was saying how when he was president of BYU he was making plans to persuade the president of the united states to come speak to the student body..... of about 30,000 people or something.... and of course there were times that would be most convenient for the president to come and maybe they had some ideas about what they wanted him to talk about..... but in requesting him to come..... they did not put any conditions on his visit. they said that they would cater and rearrange their schedules for anything he wanted to do while he was there, he was free to do  and say whatever he wanted. because that is how you approach the highest authority in the united states.

then why is it... when we.... just one individual person approach the highest authority in the universe..... Heavenly Father, God,  do we put conditions on how he will answer... or come to us in response. 

Well, as continue to have faith and trust in God, He will answer according to His way and according to His timetable. 

But that's ok. haha (:(:

LOVE YOU ALL (:(:(: keep being awesome!!! I know that God loves us, and knows us and will help us get through all the hard times we are going through... and during the good times... it doesn't mean that we don't just stop talking to Him and being grateful for all the blessings we have. yes!!(:(:

Love, Sister Walker

#1 THROW AWAY AN OLD PAIR OF WORN OUT SHOES

#2 YOU BUY NEW SHOES

#3 YOU GET TO TRAIN A NEW MISSIONARY. (HAVE A BABY!!) Sister Tate

#4 WATCH YOUR TRAINER GO HOME :( Sister George

#5 WATCH YOUR BREAKER GO HOME :( Sister Anderson

I got a three generation picture..... Sister George (my trainer) Me! and Sister Tate (my trainee)

Dear momma!(:(:

i love you so much! and we are having such a good time (:(: we are just taking it slow and trying to figure this all out.. .because i don't know everything about our area.... and well, she doesn't either so we really need to rely on each other (:(: 

I am so grateful that she has the spirit with her (:(: it is so great, i love it! her testimony is so sweet and simple (: it really does bring the spirit!!!

ok, i was fasting and studying and praying in preparation for training... and trying to remember my training experience.... and 

ALSO!!! so the missionaries get here on wednesday.... then they go to bed... then they have a full day and thursdaynight we (the trainers) get to take them out for some contacting... and that was kinda like the scariest part because it is their first experience and i wanted to have miracles!!! so i was just fasting that i would be humble enough to listen to the spirit, and oh man, we prayed so many times that night!!! and we just did see miracles!!! we had lessons, gave away book of mormons set baptismal dates and got new investigators!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow!!!! like that was a miracle in itself. at the end we got to take them out to get a yummy taiwanese drink... i got her winter melon tea with milk.... hot (:(: we call that time going out and contacting "babysitting" and i got to babysit sister hendricks.... who is being trained by sister stevens now... (:(: so happy!!(:(:

oh mom, i love you and just so you know we are doing really good!!! i just feel good (:(: i think pday was really good just to chill out... from the craziness.. haha, we cleaned so much today... i want to send you a pic of the apartment when it is all the way clean and shiny (:(:

i had to say goodbye to all of my companions... my mini missionary, my sister anderson and sister george!! it is weird. but good. and crazy. 

i don't know how i got this far. i feel like i was just in training yesterday.... wow. 

thanks for your confidence in me (: I LOVE YOU!!!!