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

Just kidding, apparently JiLong is only a middle size city. HA.

Anyways. so im sorry. our member was like jilong isn't that big. i think it is... but ya.... apparently its like the whole all the cities kinda mesh together into a big area thing. so all you need to know is. there are a lot of people and big buildings. haha more than anywhere else i have ever been before. (:

some thoughts.......

Spirituality yields two fruits. The first is inspiration to know what to do. The second is power, or the capacity to do it. These two capacities come together. That’s why Nephi could say, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded.”  He knew the spiritual laws upon which inspiration and power are based. Yes, God answers prayer and gives us spiritual direction when we live obediently and exercise the required faith in Him.-talk from Elder Scott (acquiring spiritual guidance)

random....

OH man. we have an english investigator and it is super weird. i have only met with her once... but WOW. speaking english=hard.

ALSO. met this lady... she came up to us. she was like are you Mormon? and we were like ya, she said she was from Utah. her english is really good, and she was just like come to my house on saturday... so we will see how that goes, but she couldn't stop saying, wow you look so asian!!! and i was just like-YEEESSSSSsssss.... best compliment ever. <3

sommee miracles!!!

1. Our lady we met at the harbor last week is progressing really nicely. she is so amazing. i feel the spirit so strong every single time we meet with her... which is actually a lot. she really wants this. which is so refreshing. the ward is so good to her too! she came to church and basically met EVERYONE. she loves it (: thats what i like about church too. it just feels kinda like a big family reunion (:

2. we got to do temple tours which means that we hang out in taipei all day and give tours in the jin hua jie chapel... the main one right in the middle of taipei right across from the mission office and the temple. we got so many tours and at one point we had to ask other missionaries to come and help us because there was too many people! we gave out 6 book of mormons that day!!! wow!!!(:(: so happy!!!

3. our members.... the wu family... gave us 4 refferals, sister wu's mom and dad and brother wu's little brother and his family.... wow...... let me tell you that might just be the biggest miracle of my whole mission. so exciting! 

we are working hard and sister price are having a party!!!!

LOVE YOU ALL <3 have a good nother week... till next monday (: 

LOVE SISTER WALKER

Some Cool Statues!

haha, member's kids are adorable!!! check out that strawberry!!

yes, more cool miaos!!

its huge!!! this was for pday (:

here is the city....keelung or jilong.... haha (: and it is a harbor city... so different from anywhere else and super cool!!! (:(:

i live in another tall building.... i will send you a pic of the apartment... it is smaller than anywhere else.... only a main room and the kitchen is right off of it... a bathroom and a room for changing and our closets (:we are also in the process of cleaning it.... i don't even know how sisters before us lived here. HA

this is a before picture... and i will send an after one next week (: it is starting to look better already.... (:(:

we went to this sweet temple for pday!!

                                                                                            also, one thing about Taiwan... basically its all about walking barefoot on rocks to make you healthy. check this one out... it hits like specific spots on your foot. and if it hurts, you know that you aren't healthy. haha, something like that. i was ok, but you also get use to it (: 

HELLO everyone.

WOW. thats all i can say. so much to write! and no time like always!!!

so, big shocker. again. I got transferred...... ON MY BIRTHDAY.

so now, I am in Taibei.... the part called Jilong. It is really pretty!! and really different, and in the north... ive been everywhere now! haha, it is right on the harbor and it is huge. wow. so different. and kinda really overwhelming. but i am getting more and more use to it (:

ANYWAY. first miracle.... SISTER PRICE IS MY NEW COMPANION, she is one transfer behind me.... so that makes me senior companion... scary. but basically we are an equal team so it doesn't even matter anyway (: haha we knew each other in the MTC and we always said how crazy it would be if we got to be companions, well the time has come. let the craziness begin. 

anyway...we kinda had a mini party when we got back to our area.... we got some dominos pizza with stuffed crust (:(: and took some pics and hung up the birthday sign (: we are going to make cake on next pday.... 

check this out.... this is sister price and i in the mtc.... 

and here is us today.......

We have already seen so many miracles together!!!! 

1.... the first full day in jilong... in the morning... we were on the bus going to visit some LA... long story short... we couldn't meet with them.... we were at the bus stop waiting to go back and i was just feeling. hugely. umm, overwhelmed? stressed. i just prayed that God could give me some peace and comfort..... I was feeling really low... and so i reached into my pocket to put my gloves on... and right there in the left side pocket was a note from sister anderson.... it was a card that didn't say that much, just thanked me, said she loved me and that she would miss me and that our members in zhunan would miss me. it was so sweet. i started tearing up. that was the biggest, smallest answer, miracle to my prayer. it was so wonderful (: i know that God answers prayers, often times it is through others, I know that God loves us. it is so amazing. It gave me the hope and faith to continue on and even though i am in this huge city and i don't know where i am... or what i am doing. i do know that what i am doing is true and that it helps all these people. i know that what i am doing is helping me. i love this work. it is so happy!!!

2.... still the first day in jilong.....we had a lesson set up but then we got stood up... so we just went out on the harbor to find... we were talking to this guy in chinese and he was like... i don't understand... and i was like... i know what i am saying is correct chinese.... haha, turns out he is from indonesia and his chinese isn't that good...... so just talking to him and this lady comes up and she is like... what are you doing here? haha, and i was like let me tell you, we are missionaries.... haha and yup basically. she is such a prepared person... she said just the other day she was listening to some christian music and she said she felt really good when she listened to it... and she has been trying to read the new testament in english.... basically she is our new investigator! she was so happy to meet us, and i know that God set that up. seriously. the timing was perfect... she had just gotten off the bus right there where we were.... because she had just gotten off work, and she saw us and had the courage to come and talk to us (:(: wow. what a miracle, she is our new investigator! she is getting baptized in March (; she is so excited for it too!! wow!!!!

it was pretty sad to leave zhunan after seeing some awesome miracles and just when everyone is progressing so nicely (: but this place is great, and there is something to be learned in each place and with each companion(:(:

thanks so much for all the encouragement (:(: and thoughts, i love you all so much!!!

LOVE, sister walker (:

also... this was last monday in nanzhuang (: it was super pretty (: and yup, it is in the middle of january.... go tropical island for ya. ha

the other day we saw these people... a mom and dad, kinda reminded me of you and mom, or grandpa david and grandma karen... because they had their sweet harleys!haha, i was like! my dad has one just like it! and i was like.. i actually do not know what it is called. or anythihng, i just know that it is black (: haha! they thought that was funny, they are cool, they go all over taiwan, and it reminded me of all the times that we went and did
our trips!! (:(:  

don't have much time. but just know. THIS WEEK WAS THE BEST WEEK EVER> OF ALL TIMES>

also, today we went to nanzhuang. so i have no time to email (:(: but it was soooo fun!!! please see the pictures..... and also... transfers are this week, so this might be the last little bit with sister anderson... i will keep you updated next week what is going on!! it is super crazy because no new missionaries have been able to get their visas and come to taiwan!!! keep them in your prayers (: we want them to get here, or else areas will be closed down :(

 

ANYWHO!!!! ....why was this week so great??? well. lets just say it was a miracle.

 

I feel like sister anderson and i have been going through these 12 weeks, going through our ups and downs... finding investigators.... teaching and then, just not really anything happening... and then something happens, then... nothing. so ya, just imagine that. and i guess you have all been getting the updates so you get it.....

 

well, i feel like our whole time together, trying to be better, trying to get things down, have culminated to this one last final, fantastic week.

 

and it doesn't mean that everything went smooth it didn't. but let me just tell you about a few things that happened....

 

1. we met MIA. she is so cute, we were just trying to find someone... and we figured that we should just try the neighbors and see if they knew who we were trying to find.....well, comes to find out that she didn't but. she was a prepared soul. we gave her a book of mormon and she was so excited! she just kept saying, thank you thank you! and she was so happy that we wanted to come back and read it with her and answer her questions. I feel like i was turning from the unprepared to the prepared... kinda like i talked about last week.

 

2.  we got to meet with so many less actives.... just meaning that they don't come to church... maybe they want to and they are lazy... maybe they have work so that they can't come.... and maybe some just moved and now they are just trying to get back, but they don't know how. you get to be that support, maybe that reminder... and maybe that light in the darkness.

 

well, thats it for now. i love you all!!! and will continue next week (: but i got to go and find more prepared people!!! love love love!!!!!!

 

sister walker (:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HELLO EVERYBODY!!!(:

 

I am doing really good this week. and ya, i don't know what it is... but during the day here it is really nice. almost like california... oh but when the sun goes down it is terrifying!!! it is sooo cold, so basically we have to take our big coats out... i just put it in my box i have on the back of the bike and then we bundle up at night (:

 

we are doing really good (: the week... well, this week it was a really fast one, and a kinds hard one... there were 4 days off of work and school for everyone... and that means that no one is here because they all are traveling... or going home to where they are from.... so it was a really hard week. but it was really good, we got to see a lot of really cool miracles, like last night we got to meet with our 11 year old investigator! he is so cool! haha, and his family of course... his mom is from vietnam but her chinese is really good, and his dad is taiwanese, they had us over for dinner and the mom, sister wu cooked us some delivious vietnamese food!!! it was delicious, especially because it was fast sunday. yumm!! we were so full afterward... ahha (: and anyway.. his name is brother lin... and he set a baptismal date for february 7th and we get to meet with him twice a week and he is going to come to church and english class, he is so great. haha

 

 

so ya, like i said... everybody was gone for new years, so lessons were the lowest that i have ever had it... but we got to meet so many cool people and this week we got to give out 7 book of mormons!! it was amazing, we had a couple future missionaries come out with us for 30 minutes before they went and saw the hobbit #3 and  they are so cute! we saw o many awesome miracles just in that short time, one of them is hoping to get hers sometime within the next few weeks... (her mission call) she is 19 just like me! and the other is 18 and is going to college, but was at home for the holiday... and she decided she is going to go on a mission too! we are so proud of them (:

 

anyway! let me tell you about one of the guys we gave a book of mormon too... this experience... tho small was really miraculous. we were walking along... just trying to talk to everybody because there was nobody. haha, and this guy gets off his bike at this store and helps his little girl down... who is this little sweetheart... i just give her a flyer to come to english class and then we get talking with the dad.... turns out they are also christian... and at the beginning he was like, i have my own chruch... and was not really open to really anything... but as the spirit softened his heart... by the end he was thanking us for giving him the book of mormon... he said a prayer for us and there was an actual change in his countenance. it was amazing, it was almost like the whole world just shifted in that amount of time, and i don't know what it was... but the spirit did, and it wasn't anything that i said or did..... but it was heavenly father, reaching out to his child.. and i just so happened to be there. wow.

 

and anyway. as much as the taiwanese say they don't celebrate it. they do celebrate our new year. everyone was saying how boring it was that were stuck here in zhunan where it was so boring, but really its all good haha, i am just super exited for guonian! (that is the chinese new year) in the middle of february... and it is going to be amazing, ooohhhh ya,

 

oh, random! heard that our LA went to ShangHai (in china) to see the fireworks and everything for the new year.... but she said it was not fun at all! she said she was actually really scared... ended up that like a lot of people died from being trampled! she said that is just how it is in china... people will push you and crowd you. it is really intense, also noticed the taiwanese are always ready to say a joke about china... or something, not that that is important. or anything... ya. anyway....

we met with a member this week... sister weng. she is so great. one thing that really hit me... was that she said that sometimes when she prays... she imagines that our Heavenly Father is just sitting there... maybe on a bench or something that that He just says... I know... why don't you just come down and sit by Me for a little bit. and so she does. and she just feels peace and happiness, then she counsels with Him for a bit, and that is her prayer. How beautiful is that? I am going to try that!

 

oh and this week we studied about desire... in district meetings and my personal studies, and how the Lord really does grant unto us everything according to our desires... to eternal life... or to not eternal life.... to like forever unhappiness,.... and that is just and merciful. but it we really do want eternal life... then lets do the things that will get us there. if we really do want it... lets make it a priority. and that is how i have seen it here talking to people, God respects our agency so much. and while we want everyone to accept the gospel, not everyone will sadly. and it is also really frustrating, but as i have come to understand it... i think it has helped me to understand the whole process, and purpose of missionary work.

 

we are sent to find the prepared.

 

ya so i have been reading in alma 26-33 such  great missionary examples (: love it  (:

 

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

 

Invite: make some sweet new years resolutions. and then do them (:

 

love, sister walker

 this morning.... the view... i call it flaming sun...

also im an angel!! (us doing service at a catholic place) 

 selfie with a sweet statue and temple. ya. (:

i ate another squid or octopus... not sure! ....its brains exploded. just thought you would all like to see!! (:

ummer summerrr gunnesss, don't even know, but sister anderson and i laughed so hard. ha

flaming sun (view from the apartment)