Happy 19th Birthday Elder Walker!!

4th letter from Leuven, Belgium - Week 15

Hey everyone! 

The mission over here in Belgium is amazing!  Like I absolutely love it.  The people are fantastic and sooo loving.  We are teaching lots of people.

Sooo okay dutch sayings;

hello= halo or hoi

goodbye= tot ziens 

I don't really know how to explain this crazy language, but I love it and find it beautiful. 

Anyways let's see, so miracle of the week.  Okay, I hope you're ready for this because it is super super intense, like blow your mind in-tenseness!

Alright, so in Leuven there is this huge party going on like every other weekend, sooo basically talking to people in the Centrum (the center of the town) was like out of the question.  Lot's of loud music and such so we as missionaries, we prayed for some guidance and we had a feeling we needed to go see this old potential. 

So that's what we did.  Well there is only one way to get to his house and that is through this giant park dingus (dutch filler word that like encompasses everything).  So as we are strolling through the park this student runs up to us, drink in hand and starts to talk to us about the Gospel. Loe and behold his friend also runs up, who happens to be a man who we had just started to teach and who's house we had stopped by earlier that day!  

Sooo that was super awesome, we had an amazing conversation with them, said a prayer and continued on our way to the man's house who we intended to see this week.  Anyways, he wasn't there so we walked back through this same park.

A different guy starts talking with us, which was crazy.  That led to us talking to a investigator who they (the other missionaries) haven't seen since before I got to Leuven.  We also had a conversation with these three girls, I don't know how old they were, 18'ish I would guess, about the Gospel and yeah, one of the girls took a Book of Mormon which is super cool.  

By this point there were like 5 or 6 people listening which never happens so we had to pull out our portable soapbox..J/K. :-)  We had a very interesting conversation with them, so yeah, after all of this went down we were stopped by a family who had overheard our conversation and wanted to learn more, so we explained who we were and what our purpose was and gave them our number!  So it was absolutely insane!!  

I guess what I learned was that first of all our Heavenly Father has a perfect plan and that this is truly his work.   Also that hard work definitely brings blessings.  

Anyways I love you all and hope you have an amazing week!

- Elder Walker 

The District

3rd letter from Leuven, Belgium - Week 14

Hello Family & Friends,

This place is fantastic I love it sooo much!

Lets see, so experiences I've had.  So yesterday we had a man show up at church who we had met on the street for like 30 seconds earlier in the week.  That was super super awesome and we were able to teach him the first lesson about the restoration and he wants to meet with us again.  Miracles like this are so amazing because they truly show how much the Lord loves us and that this is his work, not our own. 

Zone conference for those of you that don't know, this is when multiple districts come together.  In my case all of Belgium, since it's one zone and we hear a devotional from the mission president as well as his wife and some other speakers.  Then we go through some training on how to become better missionaries which is fantastic!, Like I love it.  And it's at a church, one of the church's in our zone.  

President and Sister Bunnell are amazing, like I cannot even tell you how amazing they are.  When they say your mission president and his wife are like you temporary mom and dad it's true.  They are always there for us  and have so much useful advice and just want what's best for this work and for us. 

We got news that we have to wear helmets now, which honestly is whatever.  They are there to keep us safe and stuff so obedience is more important than fashion.  Actually I got given a bike! soooo that's awesome!!  In Leuven we walk every where, like I have not rode a bike once since I've been here, just because it makes it so we can actually have conversations with people on the street and if it will take too long to walk there we just ride the bus.

Okay so our quick castle experience.  We went down to Ghent on Monday and Tuesday was Belgium Independence day, sooo everything was open on Monday.  We got to go tour a couple of old Cathedral's, which was cool, there is a lot of history in them. 

Then we walked around Ghent and got a history tour from a Sister that just got back from her mission, who happened to be born in Ghent, so that was super super cool. 

Anyways the castle was awesome!!  I don't really know how to describe the castle honestly but I have lot's of picture's that I won't send home but when I get home we can all go through and I'll tell you more about them.  But here are a few.  

Also, lets see the scripture for the week is: 3 Nephi, Chapter 9 13-14.  It's awesome and about the atonement:

" O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? 

Yea, Verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life.  Behold mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me. "

I love you all so much and hope you have a fantastic week!

 - Elder Walker

Elders and Zusters

ya know, just another day at my castle‏

The castle is in the middle of the City of Gent

Selfie!

Giant sword (people fought with this thing)‏ 

 

Street Art

2nd letter from Leuven, Belgium - Week 13

Hey Everyone, 

I'm sorry I have almost zero time today.  A quick overview of my time since I've been here.  The plane ride was super ridiculously long, like I can't even tell you it was forever long.  I just read scriptures and listened to the Piano Guys and tried to sleep.  

Then we got off the plane, went through some orientation and legality like stuff and then ate lunch sometime in there.  All of the food is super delicious and then yeah more orientation then we had a fire side, yada yada yada. 

I found out where I was heading and I was kinda nervous because ya know I learned Nederlands not Flams.   But where I'm at it's good, I love it, like Leuven is an amazing town and I absolutely love the people!  

Anyways lets see the best thing I've eaten so far is the pickled herring, it's super good.  The cheese and yogurt are delicious.  Let's see, people eat a lot of potato's over here, like a ton which is fine with me.  The waffles, chocolate, chocolate covered waffles, doner kabab's yeah it's all delicious!  It's definitely a super different culture. 

Our apartment is an apartment nothing special but it's nice, I don't mind it at all.  The doors all have dead bolts over here, like even your interior doors do, so you have a key for every door in the house. It's all very different but familiar. 

Our ward and Bishop are fantastic. Super super awesome Saints over here!!  They are all more than willing to help out in anyway they can. 

uhm yeah I'll have more picture's next week because today we are going to see a castle sooo that will be super freaking cool!

I love all of you. Remember that our Heavenly Father loves you and has a plan for you.  Remember that life is full of beauties and miracles and don't forget to smile!!!

Love,

Elder Walker 

(Picture courtesy of Elder Clukey) Elder Clukey w/ Groentje Elder Walker

1st letter from Leuven, Belgium - Week 12

No "official" blog email this week, but understandable considering he's very busy learning, serving and doing all the things a Groentje (greenie) does!  Here is what Elder Walker had to say about his first week in Belgium.  :-)  

Madre I love you, sorry I don't have a whole lot of time to talk this week.  I promise that next week I will write in more detail but I'll just do a quick overview.

Belgium is awesome period end of story.  The people are amazing, the food is delicious, especially the cheese and yogurt.  American stuff doesn't even taste real.  Chocolate, I will see what I can do (I may have asked him, while he's there, if he could send us some Belgian chocolate! :-) ) and the scenery is just beautiful.

Okay, so the language is good people can understand me and I'm picking it up pretty quickly!  I still have a lot to learn but I know the Lord is helping me.  Elder Clukey is amazing, he is a great missionary and we are working hard and we have seen sooooo many miracles this week it's just awesome awesome awesome!!  Being a missionary is amazing! uhm yes I got your package with meds and stuff thank you very much! (sooo glad it made it to him before he went overseas!)  uhm I dont know of anything I need per say that you could send to me but I'll think about it.  Anyways I love you so much have an amazing week, tell Troy and everyone hi!

Tell my brothers I love them and I'll write a better email next week!

- Elder Walker

Leaving on a jet plane (from Reno to SLC / SLC to Atlanta / Atlanta to Amsterdam)

Welcome to Amsterdam, Netherlands! 

 Here is a little excerpt from Elder Clukey's blog:

Well, this week was a fantastic week!! I said my goodbyes to Elder Besendorfer and then picked up my son in Amsterdam! His name is Elder Walker. He is from Utah and is fantastic! He is such a hard worker and really just wants to do missionary work. His visa actually got delayed so he was in California for a transfer. Based on that information he speaks Incredible Dutch! It is such a blessing to have him as my companion! Things are really going well here. We have done some really hard work and are seeing wonderbare (miracles) here in Leuven.

(Picture courtesy of Elder Clukey)  Elder Clukey & Groentje (Greenie) Elder Walker

He made it!! His first area is Leuven, Belgium!

6th & final update from Portola, CA - Week 11

Hi Everyone!  Unfortunately we didn't get our weekly email update from Elder Walker today because he is on his way to the Netherlands!!  He flew out from the SLC airport this morning to Atlanta, GA and from there he should arrive in Amsterdam at 8:10 am their time, 12:10 am our time. 

These past couple of days I was fortunate enough to get some awesome pictures of Jerrick (excuse me, Elder Walker ;-) ) in Portola for the 4th of July celebration and his last day there.  They were sent to Jason and I by the Bishops wife in Portola.  They just loved having Elder Walker serve there and they will miss him very much.  I'm so grateful to them and the people in Portola for taking care of him for the short time he was there. 

I know he is eager to get to the Netherlands, yet leaving Portola was very bitter sweet.  He loved and spoke very highly of his companion Elder Corry and of the people he met there. 

Please keep him and the other Elders & Sisters in your thoughts and prayers as they make the long flight to the Netherlands!  We should hear from him in a week!  :-) 

(left to right) Portola ward members, Elder Walker & Elder Corry:  His last day in the Reno, NV mission.

Elder Walker & Elder Corry: 4th of July celebrations

haha, that face!  :-)

Not sure what's going on here, but it looks intense!  lol