October 24, 2016 - Sister Orange...

                                               Courtney At The Beach At Aracaju

                                  She Is So Happy With Her Fruit From The Farmers Market!

                                             Sister Lauder And Courtney At Aracaju

                                                   All Of The Sisters In Courtney's Zone

Hey party people! 

The work is trucking along here in Eduardo Gomes. We were having a hard time finding people to teach so we prayed and prayed and fasted and the Lord was good to us and gave us people, lots of people to teach. But then I realized how He has a sense of humor because apparently I forgot to ask only for people who are legally married... of the 21 new people we began to teach 19 of them aren’t legally married, just are living with someone and that means their baptism date will be pushed back for at least a month to get it through the government system here. Awesome. 

In other news this week it was cool because a woman in the ward took us to this huge farmers market that just sells fruit. It was cool because 1. She took us in her car so I got to ride in a car, and 2. Because I have never seen so much fruit in my life. Trucks full of oranges and mountains of pineapple and watermelon and goiaba and mamão that doesn’t even exist in my home land. And it’s all super CHEAP. The happiest moment of my life was this week when I bought 35 oranges for $5 reais which in dollars is like $1.75; that is right people, I am trading in my coca cola weight for lean mean fruit eating machine. But the woman we went with thought it was hilarious that I was so excited just to go buy fruit and oranges because the oranges here are super good, and now is going around telling everyone in the ward how much I love oranges. They now have lovingly nicknamed me ´´sister orange´´... classic. 

Last week on pday we went with the other sisters in our zone to what’s called the Orla, down in another part of Aracaju. It’s a really touristy place by the beach where someone asked if we all had the same husband and I was like barf, please excuse me and I left. But other than that it was fun to see the beach at least from far away and see the sights.

Oh and great news!! I was talking to an Elder who’s in Estancia where I served and he said that the family that I taught that was baptized after I left, Magna and Cival and their 2 kids, now gives lunch to the missionaries!! She’s on the real life relief society missionary calendar like a real life member!! I got so happy to hear that. It’s so wonderful to see how all your little efforts that you thought were useless eventually paid off in the end for someone, even if it was just that one family. I know that all of our efforts are noticed by the Lord and are even very miniscule and small compared to everything we owe to Him. That’s what I think a lot about my mission-a year and a half is very very little to give back to Him after how indebted I feel to Him. He just wants us to give our best and remember Him! How simple is that! I love my mission and I love serving our Father in Heaven! I have never felt such a real joy or purpose before all of this. But that’s all I’ve got for now, know how much I love you and miss you guys! Have a great week!

Sister Walker 

October 17, 2016 - Testimony Slamdown

 P-Day Volleyball Game With Sister Lauder, Courtney, Sister Menezes and Sister Carvalho

                                     Birthday Party For Zone Leader, Elder Andrade

                                                             Eduardo Gomes District

                                             Celebrating Sister Menezes' One Month Mark

Hi everybody!!

So here’s a quick update on my week. We are getting a little more settled into the area here. All the members think its a huge area for just 2 sisters but I’m like yeah I’ve had areas three times the size of this one... the bishop continues to worship at our feet, he basically did everything but tell us to take a bow in front of everyone at our first Sunday here yesterday.

We had our first district meeting and I had found out last minute it had been our ZLs bday so I went into mom mode and whipped out a little party for him. When he got there we all yelled surprise and he got so happy and turned to me and Sister Menezes and said ´thank you sisters!!´´ And I said ´´´why do you think it was just us who did this?´´ And he said ´´please, do you really think an Elder is capable of doing all of this?´´ haha. That is correct sir!

Anyways fast and testimony meeting was... interesting here. It is always a gambling game when our investigators are visiting for the first time... its funny to me when testimony meeting turns into people pointing out what other people are doing wrong in the ward that they think should be changed. For example: someone got up and started telling a story, as usual. The next person got up and said ´´I’d like to bear my testimony that I know we aren’t supposed to tell stories over the pulpit.´´ and then someone else gets up and says ´´I’d like to bear my testimony that I know we should all worry about our own lives and not butt into the lives of others.´´ and then when the ward gets a little rowdy and a man gets up and says ´´I bear my testimony that I know reverence is a lot more than just being quiet. amen.´´ hahahah I was dying the whole meeting. But they are a smaller ward so they are still learning. We are patient with all people and their weaknesses.

We are getting creative to get referrals here. I like to do an activity with Noah’s ark. I teach about the story and tell about how there was room on the ark for all those people, and it was Noah’s job to tell them all to repent so they wouldn’t die. But if Noah hadn’t done his part announcing that, those people wouldn’t be guilty if they died, because they didn’t know there was gonna be a flood! Noah would have been the guilty one because he didn’t announce it to the people-in the same way our friends and neighbors don’t know there is a true church with the priesthood and commandments they need to follow. So if they show up at the last day, they won’t be guilty, it’ll be US that God will be upset with, because we didn’t announce it to them. So I make the members write down two people that they would want to be on their ark with them if there was a flood tomorrow, and we mark to go visit them this week. It works like a charm!

If that one doesn’t work, there’s always people asking me for help in English class, whether its kids or adults, so I’ve started trading with them, I teach them English if they’ll go on visits with us during the week. Sold! On Sunday the relief society president even got up and said ´the sisters need people to go with them on visits everyday in the week! Who’s gonna go with them on Tuesday? Wednesday?´´ and didn’t let anyone leave until we have someone to go out with us every day this week! She is great.

But other than that, things are going good here, we´re working a lot, getting a good tan, and learning how to be patient and accept things in the Lords time and not our own. When I think about it, following the Lords orders and being faithful, optimistic and patient is the most intelligent thing we can do. We´re saying that we trust in the highest, most powerful, know all tell all, creator of the universes. I sure do trust in Him. He knows a whole lot better than us! Don’t forget to pray to know who you can take the sisters to teach! We gotta stop praying so that THEYLL find people but that we´ll know who we know that is ready for them. That is what the prophet tells us! I love you all very very much!! Have a great week!

Sister Walker

October 10, 2016 - And Then There Were Two.... Transfers

                                                   Courtney Leaving Sao Miguel

                                      Sister Menezes, Courtney and Mayara (twin of Nayara)

                        Sister Monteiro, Nayara's Mom, Nayara (twin of Mayara) and Courtney

Hellloooo Federal Way!

Good news and lots of changes here in Eduardo Gomes. Its kind of fun to get to serve close to Aracaju, the big city here in Sergipe. My area is about 20 minutes away from the city, but still is bigger and more city like than my last area. Here they have more paved streets and less horses running around. The ward here is a little bigger and they LOVE sisters. Seriously love. The bishop is super cool, has been bishop 12 whole years (now dads counting his lucky stars he was only there for 5) and is known for only liking sisters working here. They do everything for us, show us where the members live, pick us up drop us off, give us cake, they just love us. We are treated like the princesses we always were destined to be...

Oh and my companion! Her name is Sister Menezes, she’s 23 and is from Manaus, Amazonas. Just her and her mom are members in her family, she was baptized when she was 17. She is really sweet has lots and lots of hope and faith that mission life is all baptisms and people flocking to learn about the Mormon Church. I try not to do anything to take that hope away from her. She’s super excited to be here and just jumps in to everything even if she doesn’t really know how to do it yet haha. But it’s good. We live just us 2 which is different for me but still good.

Funny story this week, so there is a girl named Nayara in São Miguel that had told me her twin sister had just gotten back from her mission and lives in the stake I’m in now but another ward. So one day we were at an activity and I look up and I see who I think is Nayara from a whole different state and I got so happy I almost cried and I said ´´Nayara!!´´ And went to hug her and she said ´´no I’m Mayara, that’s my twin sister!´´ haha and she got super happy I had met her sister all the way in a different area. It was like Mary Kate and Ashley except Nayara and Mayara and they don’t have their own hit tv show. But it was super fun to get to meet her. I’m sending of pic of her to compare the two.

We are kind of starting from zero in this area since the elders here before didn’t leave any indication of anything or anyone actually with promise, so it’s a little frustrating sometimes just trying to not get lost in the city slash also find people who want to be taught. But the members take us to their neighbors house and their friends house so that’s a huge score. We use Elders Oaks talk from conference now in all the messages we leave with them to kick their missionary efforts in gear. booya! I was kind of worried to start training and be responsible for the whole future of another missionary, but I know how much the Lord gives us chances to grow and learn. When we were leaving Maceio to go to Sergipe we had to leave at 5am, and I didn’t know if there would be a taxi or anyone to get us there where the buses are. I was freaking out thinking we wouldn’t make it there with all our suitcases and started praying and praying for help. I was up in an apartment window and I looked down and all of a sudden one single taxi had appeared outside, 5am, with no one on the avenue. THAT was a miracle. I know we are qualified when we do all we can to fulfill His callings. I love my mission!

More to come next week! até logo! amo muito vocês!!

Sister Walker

October 3, 2016 - The Prophets Drink Coke!

                           
                                         Sister Monteiro, Other Roommates and Courtney

                                  Sister Monteiro, Sao Miguel Ward Members and Courtney

                                   Sister Monteiro, Courtney and Roommates in Sao Miguel

Hi everyone!

Well you read the title right, as well as lots of spiritual guidance and instruction, the whole world was also informed that the latter day prophets drink coca cola and/or dr. pepper people!! Caffeine is not against the word of wisdom!! I was right! I was right my whole dang life!! *mini bow*.

Anyways conference is so amazing as a missionary. Also even greater when all the talks are giving specific and direct revelation from God to the members of the church on how they need to amp up their game and help us out more! That really really was an answer to my prayers. I just sit and listen to all the talks and the time just whizzes by. I see how directly and specifically the Lord answers our prayers if we really open our minds and hearts up to ask specifically.

As for news here, I am being transferred as I suspected, I’m going back to Sergipe where I’ll be serving in Aracajú, in an area called Eduardo Gomes. But before that I’ll be going to Maceio to pick up the new sister that I’m going to train! I didn’t think that I’d spend my last 2 transfers training but it’ll be a fun new experience! The other sister I trained went home with problems, in her foot so now I’ll have a legacy here! haha. Sergipe is kind of far away from everything but it’ll be fun to serve in a city.

Well I’m busy today saying goodbye to the members and investigators I’ll leave behind here, people that I really really just love so much but will have to leave behind. Funny that I never really loved the members so much in an area like I do here. But they will always be in my heart! Cheesey but true. You learn to love the people despite their flaws and awkward things they say, despite their lack of understanding on certain gospel topics or focus on the more important things in life. In a lot of ways it’s just like our Savior chooses to love us despite all of the reasons we give Him not to.

I can tell you all that my mission is without a doubt the best and most wonderful thing I have ever experienced. Never has the Spirit been with me so constantly, never have I felt more close to my Savior and feel like I’ve walked just a few steps of the path He walked on. The saddest part to me is that we learn and are edified and feel the spirit and know what we need to do better, and then lots of times we leave the chapel and our lives continue the exact same way. Please please don’t let all of that instruction go to waste we just got! Think and pray about what you can do to help the sisters, pray to know who is ready to learn more about God and not the church, who would like to read the Book of Mormon to increase their faith, please think about how much it will mean to the future generations of the people we know down the line. Don’t let all the counsel of the prophets go to waste. I know my family is wonderful, they will have the courage to become wonderful missionaries as well! I love you all! I don’t have a doubt in my mind about our role in the Lords work, He has called us and He needs us. He has a true church that was reestablished on the earth through Joseph Smith and a tangible proof of that is the Book of Mormon. Lots of people still don’t know about that. If they did, that would make all the difference.

Have a great week full of new experiences and sincere prayers for help!! I love you all more than I can say.

Sister Walker

September 26, 2016 - Ups And Downs

                                                   Courtney's Average Meal in Brazil
                               Rice and Beans, Salad, Steamed Vegetable, Meat and Chicken
                                     There are usually 4-5 items on her plate - She loves it!

Hey everybody!

I remember one day this week saying to my companion, ´´don’t you think it’s weird that everything is going so well? Like somehow something really bad is going to happen soon? I feel like something’s going to happen when we least expect it...´´ boy was I right. I feel like somehow my life here is like a reality tv show for you guys back home, waiting on the next episode to see what happens next... so plot twist from last week’s happiness and hope for the future, our investigators Irmã Maria José and Gessiara didn’t end up getting baptized. They actually dropped us like 2 days before their baptisms. It’s a long story, but the short version is that Irmã Maria counted up all of her expenses to care for her, her 2 granddaughters, her son and her son’s wife, and realized the money to pay her tithing wouldn’t leave anything to spare. So instead of trusting in the blessings we promised her from obedience like she had already seen with the other commandments, she got nervous that she wouldn’t have enough money to pay for things like food and water if she paid her tithing, got scared and told us not to come back. Free agency really is a divine principle we need to understand better. But it is truly devastating to see the happiness and salvation of someone you love so dearly just crumble in between your fingers without you being able to do anything.

One of the hardest parts is that you’re not technically allowed as a missionary to feel sad or let people know how you’re feeling inside, so you just kinda have to leave awkwardly from the house that you just felt like dropped down on top of you, and have to hurry to your next appointment and act like nothing happened and you’re not secretly having a mental breakdown inside. And then your other poor investigators wonder why you’re crying while bearing your testimony on the word of wisdom....

At least we had the women’s conference to help get my mind off of things. I love how they taught about spiritual preparation, how the world isn’t very good right now and by the scriptures, its only gonna get worse. I like how they teach us that we need to have a new personal level of conversion, it doesn’t do it anymore just to memorize the scripture mastery and go to church on Sunday. We need to be literal defenders of Israel. I also loved President Uchtdorfs talk on faith, who knows how that man has so many inspirations. I’ve been thinking my whole mission on what faith means, and he kind of summed it up. Its trust! Trust in the one thing you know to be true, not because you saw it or heard about it, but because you know deep down that you felt it, and that’s not something anyone can take away. That when all goes right, you know who’s really at the head of the wheel and you know of His promises that will be fulfilled one day.

But this next week is full of new surprises and second chances. It’s the last week in the transfer and we´ll see what’s in store for me. I’m hoping to get a fresh start somewhere else but we´ll just wait and see! Oh and here are some pics of the food I eat every day, I realized I had never sent a pic for you guys. Here we have the classic and beloved rice and beans, some steamed vegetables, salad (which is composed of lettuce and tomatoes just like on SpongeBob), meat from a cow I think, chicken, and that’s it I think. There’s always about 4 or 5 things on your plate at a time. It’s the best!! I love you all have a wonderful week! I’ll be thinking of you watching conference!!! Don’t fall asleep!! (that means you, my entire family)

Sister Walker

September 19, 2016 - The Best 18 Months!

                                                                   Rayane's Baptism

                                                 Sister Monteiro, Irma Zeze and Courtney

                                                      Courtney and the Sao Miguel Valley

Hi everybody!

Things are rolling strong here, we had Rayane’s baptism this Sunday morning which started late as usual and the man who baptized her, his white jumpsuit popped open showing his garments because of his pot belly, but it was yet another soul saved at the end of the day! She is 12 and has been going to church with her aunts and uncles who all live on the same street, since she was a little kid.

As for Irmã Maria José and Gessiara, they are progressing perfectly, got on the bus early Sunday morning and came down to the chapel all by themselves. They started spreading it all around for everyone to hear that their baptisms will be this Saturday! Irmã José tells everyone she sees that her life has been changed ever since her ´´two angels´´ (me, obviously, and my companion) have come into her life. She tells about all these great things that are happening that never did before. She told us the story of her life, how she had her own cell at the jail and drank and smoke like no other, how she was always in street fights, and lots of other things. She said that ever since she went to our church all of that anger and hatred inside of her melted away and she doesn’t know how it’s possible. It is amazing to me how merciful the Lord is and how simple it is-the exact moment we decide to stop doing what’s wrong and start being obedient, the blessings automatically flow. It’s simple!

Our other miracle was with a young couple we´re teaching, Alda and Neto who are friends of members. They went to church and we marked to teach them. As we taught the restoration and invited them to pray to know if the church is true, Alda said ´´I don’t feel like I need to pray. I’ve never felt such a peace like I feel inside of that church. I feel like I’m in a different world, like all of my cares just melt away when I’m there.´´ The spirit flicked me in the head because the same church meeting that I had been spacing out and waiting for it to end, was the same one that someone had received the personal witness that Christ has a restored church here on the earth. I learn here that we really do so little to help in the work of the Lord, that He has been preparing these people a lot longer than we have been here and will guide them a lot after we leave. They are a really special couple!

What I love about my mission is that I finally feel like my life has a real purpose- I feel like I’ve found my real purpose on the earth, and I only came to find that when I stopped thinking about myself and if I was hungry or sleepy or hot or grumpy, and started thinking about others. These people teach me so much-this week was about generosity. I have never seen the kind of generosity these people show us. I learned that generosity isn’t just give when you’ve had enough, or give whatever is left over, generosity is giving to others when you don’t have enough for yourself, and not thinking twice. You just gotta imagine the look on Irmã José’s face when we accept the food she offers us- a little old woman who takes care of her son and 2 granddaughters financially, who live in a one room and one bedroom house, offering everything that’s inside of her refrigerator with a door that comes completely off its hinges every time you open it. Some things I see here are so special to me, it just doesn’t do it justice to try and explain it over email. Whether its oranges, bananas, eggs, bread, whatever she has she is more than happy to give it to us.

I know I would not be able to have these same experiences or gain this knowledge that I have if I had stayed at home. I love my mission! And I love you guys! Be good missionaries this week-be nice to the investigators the sisters bring, it was a triumph for them to get people in the church and it’s our job to help keep them there! You can do it! vocês conseguem!!

Ate a próxima semana! Beijos!

Sister Walker

September 12, 2016 - Rollin In The River

                                                 2 Districts In Their Zona Litoral

                                              Courtney, Sister Monteiro And Rubia

                                              Courtney And Sister Monteiro

Hello to the good people of Federal Way!

Wow I can’t believe we´re already in September. We had a zone conference this week with all the missionaries in Alagoas, and it was so weird talking with the elders I got here with that all were saying ´´wow Sister Walker the time is ticking! You’re already getting on your flight home!´´ I said: can it you weirdos I still have a whole lot of time here thank you very much! I can’t really process coming home yet because I 1. Don’t know where I will be living or studying or 2. If I know how to do real life stuff anymore.

This week was really great, we had been praying and fasting that we would find people to teach, but not just any people, but people prepared to be baptized. And the Lord heard our prayers! It is amazing what a difference sincere prayer makes in our life. They can be repetitive and boring and your life will become so, but if you take the time to really talk to Heavenly Father you can have your eyes opened to how much you were missing before. Anyways we found a great little family, there’s the grandma Maria Jose who is known as the angriest crabbiest old lady on the street, her son Vagner who is a little lost in life, and his daughter Gessiara who’s the sweetest and most spiritual 9 year old you’ve ever met, that all live together. If we weren’t friends with them, I would be very scared of Irmã Maria Jose tbh. She tells about how much hate and anger she has inside her heart that she can’t seem to get rid of. And she’s never liked any sort of church. But in one lesson she felt so alleviated when we came to her house, she felt like we had something different that all the other churches that came to her door never had. We said that’s because our church is true! And she said ´´for the first time in my life I want to go to a church!´´ and they went! It was great. We actually had 8 investigators there yesterday which was a blessing. But Maria Jose said during sacrament ´´now THIS is a church! Are we gonna get baptized today or is it next week?´´ haha; slow and steady missy!

We´re also teaching the niece of a big family in the ward, Rayane, whose dad finallyyy will let her be baptized this Sunday! She is so sweet, she started crying in the closing prayer when she told us he let her be baptized. And at the end of the prayer she ended it ´´in the name of Jesus Christ... of latter day saints amen!´´ hahaha. So cute.

Another funny story about prayer, we were teaching a big group of people and at the end we always have one of them give the closing prayer. I picked one guy and he said he didn’t know how to pray so I showed him in the pamphlet the steps to pray, where it explains how. But what I didn’t know is that his prayer would be literally reading the steps out loud... haha. It went like this *everyone with their eyes closed and head down* ´´address your Father in Heaven. Express the feelings in your heart and your gratitude and ask things you are in need of. End by saying in the name of Jesus Christ amen.´´ Prayer is important people!! Got to start somewhere.

I also got some very nice letters in the mail this week from my nice family! It’s funny, the other missionaries saw all the papers and I said yeah all my siblings wrote to me and they say ´´wow I wish my siblings all wrote to me...´´ and I say ´´yeah its actually my mom that forces them to but it’s the thought that counts´´ and they say ´´man I wish my mom would force people to write to me...´´ lol. Go mummer!

I hope you all know how much I love you and appreciate you! I can’t think of anywhere else I am meant to be right now but here, forgetting about myself for a short period of time to just focus on the needs of others. That’s where the real magic starts. I know that the Lord is with us as we choose to follow in His footsteps, that He knows and loves us. An infinite power is waiting for us if we choose to ask for it. The church is true! I love you all!!

Sister Walker

And here’s a pic of 2 districts in my zone, Zona Litoral, a less active girl Rubia that put dread braids in my companions hair, and us enjoying an ice cold drink from a coconut on the side of the road!